It was great to dispense with the shackles from the protracted winter months and (hopefully) leave behind the remnants of the pandemic and instead, get back out on the great western lakes following the opening of their new trout angling season.
Overcast skies and a stiff southwesterly greeted those eager to wet a line on opening day on Lough Mask and Lough Corrib, and both lakes were peppered with boats out from most of the popular vantage points.
With an early start out from Burke’s Bay on Mask with my boating partner John Harte, we headed straight for Ram’s Island. On my second cast I hooked into and landed a nice trout of over two pounds on an Octopus. What a way to start the season!
As the wind gained momentum it was time to seek shelter. The back of Saints Island along the Ballykine Rocks to Inishgleastaí proved ideal for a southwesterly. Here, I recall counting at least eight boats with similar ideas.
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Lunch on Saints could not come quick enough. One by one the boats moored up at the specially built anglers’ shed. Five tabletop cookers were soon adorned with steaks, onions, burgers and mugs of tea all around. The delicious aroma surely wafted for miles. What a feast!
Soon it was time to get back to business. Most, if not all, boats stayed put along Ballykine Rocks, which eventually paid huge dividends. It was late afternoon before the fish “switched on”. The word was out: “They’re on Dabblers” echoed across mobile phones.
Malcolm Naughton and Alan Hough landed 12 (kept two); Pat Hoare and Dinger Murphy had four each (kept two) and Cyril Boggins landed two. In fact, most of those present cashed in on the bonanza. Unfortunately, we had moved across to Ferrybridge and missed the party.
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Later, in Burke’s Restaurant & Bar in Clonbur, we enjoyed one or two refreshments followed by a hearty Irish meal to welcome in the start of the season.
Over on Corrib, the fishing was also good for a group out from Greenfields, with plenty of action and some quality trout caught.
Waterford charity
Following a winter charity competition on Knockaderry Lake in aid of the RNLI, the Waterford City and County Trout Angling Club presented a cheque for €2,095 to the Dunmore East lifeboat station. While the majority of the money raised arose from the competition, collection boxes in Kilmeaden village accounted for the final tally.
Rainbow catches
The Enniskerry Anglers enjoyed their annual outing to Annamoe Trout Fishery in Co Wicklow last Saturday, landing 25 rainbows, all of which were returned. RTÉ’s Fergal Keane stole the limelight with eight fish, followed by Noel Cullinane on six and Tony Grehan finishing with four.
The final of the winter league at Annamoe will take place on Saturday, March 4th, from 10am until 2pm.
If you have an angling story to share, please send to me at angling@irishtimes.com.
